The Sins of Our Guardian Book One
by WarBard
Summary: The Progenitor Destined have always been enshrouded in mystery and legend. But when the last surviving Progenitor escapes his prison, the Chosen Children discover a dark secret about his past. Powerless against someone considered their superior in every way, the Chosen look to an unsavory ally in the hopes of stopping the Progenitor before he destroys the Guardian of the East


**The D-Shutter Chronicles**

**The Sins of Our Guardians**

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-Prologue 01-

_The White Shields_

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There were four of them. Men clad in riot gear, standing around a prone man tied at the wrists and ankles in plastic zip-ties. Their faces were hidden, concealed behind full helmets and rebreathers. Their eyes were a pair of blue, reflective eye-lenses. Two were unarmed. The others handled stun batons, using their free hands to usher the curious student onlookers towards their homes. The enforcer's had bold white shields stenciled on their helms and shoulder guards. The White Shields, a slang name among kids, spoke among one another in clipped, metallic voices.

TK lead the others around them, hugging the curb, away from the closest enforcer and his stun baton. He locked gazes with the enforcer for a brief moment, feeling nothing in the lifeless gaze that stared back. The group behind him, all the children present, remained quiet until passing the obstruction. TK spied another pair of White Shields further up the block dumping leaflets into an open manhole. A few papers escaped the watery fate and drifted towards him.

"Don't those guys ever take a break?" Davis complained, loosening the collar on his school jacket. "They were all over Venus Fort a couple days ago."

"They arrested a woman at the newspaper stand on the corner last night." Cody added.

"The minimart had to close last week because they arrested a whole group of people outside." Yolei commented. She adjusted her wire-frame glasses and glanced back at the four White Shields.

TK disliked them also. Things had changed in Japan since the battle with Malo-Myotismon and the White Shields were the tip of a malignant spear. He snatched a leaflet from the ground and flipped it over. It was plain with the simple words 'Digimon are real' in bold, black lettering. TK was about to say something when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

The strong grip spun him around. A White Shield stared at TK, keeping a vice-like grip on his shoulder. He towered over TK by at least a foot, eclipsing him in shadow. Out from the corner of his eye, a pistol rested in its hostler on the enforcer's hip. "_You, citizen."_ He barked in a metallic drawl. _"Hand it over."_ The White Shield pinched the edge of the leaflet for emphasis. TK's grip slackened and the enforcer balled it up and dumped it into the gutter. _"Good boy. Have a nice day."_ He said, laughing as he walked away.

TK glared at the man's back. Most people had accepted the Digimon World Tour incident as a promotional hoax for a non-existent video game and animation series. The world governments preserved the calm through the White Shields—agents of the King's Guild, who subjugated dissent with pitiless zeal. They slowly replaced local law enforcement on everything but the mundane tasks.

"Are you ok, TK?" Davis asked, shooting a glare at the White Shield standing near his partner. "What a jerk."

TK shrugged it off. "There's nothing we can do about it Davis."

"TK's right." Cody said. "We should all go home for today."

Yolei scoffed. "I'm not intimidated by those thugs." She said. The group began walking again until stopping at the end of the block, waiting for the light to change. "Besides, Hawkmon could easily take care of those bozos." The two White Shields by the manhole cover were still within earshot, and one tilted his head in the group's direction. "Probably figured out we're the Destined." Yolei continued, whispering.

"They probably know already." Cody quipped. "I mean, we did sign that agreement with the Guild Masters."

"Sometimes I wonder if that was such a good idea." TK said. He watched the two White Shields slide the manhole cover into place.

The crossing light changed and the group shuffled across the street towards their apartment complex a few blocks away. It was a quiet day. A panoramic blue sky peeked between the high-rises, speckled with some starved clouds. School had let out and kids packed the street vendors, yet the raucous seemed tuned out, almost mute. School busses trundled by without a sound. It felt wrong to TK, like the quiet before fighting Devimon. He felt uneasy.

Davis slid his backpack on his other shoulder. "So TK, I heard your brother and his band are playing at the Aqua Garden this weekend. Got any tickets?"

TK cocked an eyebrow. "Since when are you interested in boy bands Davis?"

"They're not for me." Davis sputtered. "Jun wants them. Ever since she heard that Matt broke up with Sora, she's been all over my case about getting them." He fished in his back pocket and pulled out a battered, leather wallet. "I got three hundred yen and a pack of chewing gum."

TK waved his offer away. "No need. I'll see if Matt has any extra lying around the next time I visit—"

A gunshot jarred his sentence. Another shot. A third shot, the distinct _crack_ of the hammer-pin hitting metal. Someone in the rear of the group screamed. TK looked back. A woman in her thirties sprinted towards them, a smoking pistol gripped in her left hand. She was pretty, dark hair and a feathered chin. Her blue eyes were wide with fear. Behind her, the White Shield that accosted TK earlier brandished his pistol. Uttering no warning, or command, the pointed and fired.

The woman's chest puffed crimson. She fell, slamming into the crosswalk head first and sprawling to a stop. She didn't get up. The White Shield strode over, delivering a savage boot to the dying woman's ribs as he went past. He retrieved the pistol further up the walkway. Three of the other enforcers joined him, looking down at her corpse.

"_Nice shot."_ One of the enforcers said. _"Her husband's not going anywhere now."_

The White Shields looked down the street. "_Oh, he'll pay." _The shooter agreed. "_He will most definitely pay."_

They chuckled while the gathering spectators watched, horrified. TK was speechless. One of the enforcers noticed them gawking and shooed them away with his hands. "_Move along, citizens._" He glanced at the body on the cross-walk. "_E Three Twenty-One to Command. Uh, send a bus and the fire department on my location for pickup and cleanup._" The radio inside his helmet muttered a response, but TK felt too numb to hear it. The White Shield that killed her holstered his pistol and stowed hers in his waistband.

A hand gripped TK's shoulder, dragging him away. It was Yolei. She clutched Davis' collar in her other hand and she guided the two of them further up the street. Cody followed them. After walking another block in complete silence, Yolei released them, immediately wiping her eyes. Davis just stared. TK felt sick.

"He didn't even flinch." Yolei said. Her face was red from rubbing her gloves to soak up her building tears. "The bastard, he didn't even flinch."

"He didn't have a choice." Cody whispered.

The youngest Inoue gaped at him. "How could you say something like that?"

"For all we know she could have shot them first." Cody replied. The boy's stoicism impressed TK, but the beginnings of tears threatened his eyes. "If he let her go, who knows what else could've happened. I don't like it either, but sometimes it's out of our hands. The Digital World taught us that."

Davis sniffed, running his hand through his unkempt hair. "At least the Digimon are reborn after they're deleted."

TK shook himself. "We can talk about it with my mom. She used to be a reporter for the evening news."

"And Armadillomon." Cody said quietly.

"Veemon." Davis agreed.

"Patamon." TK followed.

"Hawkmon." Yolei finished.

With that, the group traveled home in complete silence. The sickness lightened, but TK could still feel it, somewhere between his heart and stomach, twisting and churning uncomfortably. He tried focusing on the positives; Patamon in the Human World, Yudai joining their group with his Gaomon, and the world remaining calm. It didn't help. The pain still nagged him, and he worried the White Shields, the tip of the malignant spear, was just the beginning.

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OOC: I do not own Digimon. I do own the D-Shutter concept, Yudai Kuragi, and the Seven Guilds.

This is one of three Prologues starting off this Omnibus (or series). The series is a massive undertaking, beginning in the near future after Adventure 02.

In this Prologue, I was aiming for something a little dark while revealing a snapshot on one of the many changes the Destined may be facing in the aftermath of Malo-Myotismon. While some author's might paint a rosy picture of understanding between both the Digital and Human worlds, I just couldn't accept such a circumstance.

More will be explained in greater detail involving the Japan and even the violent undertow in the Digital World, caused by some unseen force.

Please read and review. This means a lot to me as a writer, as it helps improve my writing and understand as an author. Flames, plaudits, or a simple hello. All comments are welcome!


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